Toulouse: A gem in the south of France
A city full of French and Mediterranean culture with Spanish flavor
My wife Maria Luisa and I have visited Portet sur Garonne, a small town on the edge of the Garonne, near Toulouse, since 2000.
Unlike Paris, which has a hectic life full of tourists, Toulouse has a population of half a million within its municipal boundaries. Its location is close to Spain, the Mediterranean (Catalonia), and the Atlantic s(Basque Country). Toulouse has been the capital in exile of the kings and rulers during the Spanish civil wars and the French occupation of Spain, at the beginning of the 19th century, under the mandate of Jose Napoleon.
The Capitole Square, one of the most beautiful in Western Europe, and the rest of the city’s historic center are regularly visited by young Spanish students who travel to Toulouse as foreign language students at the Alliance Française.
Toulouse is the capital of France’s southern Occitanie region, a land of the Cathars, a religion against which the Roman Catholic Church waged its only holy war in Europe. Their ancient language, Languedoc, remains current in the names of the streets and even in the subway signs. On several occasions, we witnessed Catalans and Frenchs who spoke in the ancient langue having a fluent conversation.
Because of the color of the bricks of its buildings, Toulouse is called the pink city. A walk around the streets and the bridges that cross the river in the afternoon near dawn hours is a breathtaking experience. Another tour we recommend is walking or biking by the Canal de Midi, which was used for maritime transport between two seas, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.
The quality of life in Toulouse is excellent, its meals, led by the Cassoulet and its sausages, are recognized, and its landscapes are beautiful and harmonious. One can enjoy the greenery of the meadows with its rivers and, in the distance, the Pyrenees. Toulouse has the second Opera house in France and a regular cultural offer of concerts and high-level artistic exhibitions. It is part of the French route to Santiago de Compostela (Spain), and pilgrims visit the Basilique Saint-Sernin, in Toulouse, a jewel of Romanesque architecture in France.
There are plenty of tourist treasures nearby, such as Carcassonne, one of the best-preserved walled cities in Europe, Albi, the capital of the Cathars and the birthplace of Toulouse Lautrec, the sanctuary of Lourdes in the Pyrenees, mountains through which the Tour de France takes place each year. All over these places, one encounters the kindness and courtesy of its people.
Toulouse is recognized as one of the aeronautical centers in Europe. The space park (Cité de l’Espace) is one of the most visited tourist attractions, with amenities for children and adults.
Paris is the city that receives the most visits in the world, and France also offers tourists its French Riviera and its Bordeaux and Beaujolais wine regions, but those who venture to visit Toulouse, with its Spanish flair and its surroundings will enjoy an unforgettable experience.
